Solemn start for sevens

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

THE Poverty Bay Weka Sevens tournament will have a solemn start tomorrow when a minute’s silence will be held for Misilungi Moananu and former All Black Jonah Lomu.

“Misilungi passed away early in the week and then we had the shock of Jonah’s death on Wednesday . . . out of respect for both we’ll have a minute’s silence,” Bay sevens manager Dwayne Russell said.

“Jonah’s death has shocked the nation. Misilungi was a Poneke stalwart playing over 200 games and was a gentleman.

“He coached Poneke to our sevens title last year.”

Bay coach Brent Mokomoko has named two teams and is using tomorrow’s matches, which start at 10am at Rugby Park, as a trial for next week’s Waikato sevens in Cambridge.

“We’ll pick a 12-man squad, excluding the Gisborne Boys’ High School players, who compete in the Condor Sevens the following week,” Russell said.

“GBHS Weka will be a formidable side, with some experienced old boys beefing up their team, and the Poverty Bay Olympians are a powerful team with experienced players who will be up for the challenge.

“Havelock North are bringing a young team up after losing some of their stars to the Hawke’s Bay team. Brothers are a mixture of players from Napier Tech and Marist. They’re an all-Polynesian team, and closely related.

“They could be the dark horses, as they’ll know each other’s play inside-out. The other outside team are MAC, who have an experienced team, with former Poverty Bay and Ngati Porou East Coast forward Everard Reid.”

Russell said Trish Hina and Amoe Tarsau had four women’s teams playing tomorrow.

“MAC are coming from Hawke’s Bay. TVC from Te Whanau a Apanui will also be here and Pirates are putting in two teams of young guns and some experience to help them along the way,” Russell said.

“The men’s winners will get $1000 and the women’s winners, $500.

“Trish and Amoe are looking to pick a Poverty Bay women’s team after tomorrow to compete in Levin at the regionals on December 12.

“Any other women who are keen to learn should turn up to training today at 5.30pm on the Rectory fields.”